Apparatus and method for recording AV streams onto a recording medium with reproduction path change point features

ABSTRACT

The present invention facilitates reading in advance information on addresses where data of each reproduction path to be reproduced is stored. Clip AV stream  1  to Clip AV stream  3  of angles forming a multiangle are managed by PlayList# 1  to PlayList# 3  for the different angles. Each of PlayList# 1  to PlayList# 3  is divided by angle change points. Each of the divided reproducing sections corresponds to a PlayItem. Correspondences between source packet numbers and presentation time stamps of the angle change points are recorded in an EP_map. The present invention is applicable to DVD recording and reproducing apparatus, for example.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method forinformation processing, a program storing medium, a recording medium,and a program, and particularly to an apparatus and a method forinformation processing, a program storing medium, a recording medium,and a program that make it possible to quickly reproduce addressinformation of a reproduction path recorded on a recording medium.

BACKGROUND ART

The following method has been previously known as a method for quicklyperforming determination of a reading position in an AV stream anddecoding processing and quickly retrieving a specified mark inreproducing a recording medium on which a plurality of pieces of dataincluding video data, audio data, and the like are recorded (seeJapanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-158971, for example).

According to the method, a stream of an entity of contents is managed byClip Information and reproduction of the AV stream is managed by aPlayList. As attribute information of the AV stream, address informationRSPN_arrival_time_discontinuity on discontinuity points in the AVstream, information EP_map or TU_map for associating time informationwith address information in the AV stream, and time information ClipMarkon a characteristic image in the AV stream are recorded in the ClipInformation.

There is DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) video, in particular, as theabove-mentioned recording medium on which a plurality of pieces of dataincluding video data, audio data, and the like are recorded. A format ofthe DVD video defines multiangle reproduction. In a predeterminedreproducing section allowing multiangle reproduction, a user can selectan angle that suits preference of the user. At this time, change betweenangles can be performed seamlessly by a recording and reproducingapparatus.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of assistance in explaining a multiangle format of aDVD video.

A multiangle reproducing section includes a plurality of reproducingsections. One of the reproducing sections is referred to as a Cell. Inthe example of FIG. 1, the multiangle reproducing section includesCell#i+1 to Cell#i+3 of three angles, that is, an angle 1 (Angle#1) toan angle 3 (Angle#3). AV stream data of an entity corresponding to Cellsis referred to as a VOB (Video Object). A VOB corresponding to each Cellfor forming a multiangle is divided into units referred to as ILVUs(Interleaved Units) not shown in the figure. The plurality of VOBsincluding the multiangle are multiplexed in ILVU units. Incidentally,each ILVU starts with a Closed GOP (Group of Pictures).

Description will be made of seamless angle change reproduction in amultiangle of a DVD video. When a user changes a reproduction path fromthe angle 2 to the angle 1 and then to the angle 3, for example, therecording and reproducing apparatus sequentially reads and reproducesdata of an ILVU 1, an ILVU 2, and an ILVU 3 (none of them are shown)while jumping on the disk. Incidentally, each ILVU starts with DSI (DataSearch Information), and the DSI has an address of a next ILVU of eachangle to which to jump.

However, since DSI is embedded in an AV stream referred to as VOB, it isdifficult to obtain information on an address where each piece of angledata to be reproduced next is stored, unless the AV stream is read.Hence, it takes time to read in advance all information on addresseswhere pieces of angle data to be reproduced in the future are stored,because all AV streams need to be read.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The present invention has been made of such a situation, and it is anobject of the present invention to enable information on addresses wherepieces of angle data are stored to be obtained quickly.

According to the present invention, there is provided a firstinformation processing apparatus characterized by including: encodingmeans for generating each of AV streams forming a plurality ofreproduction paths; managing information generating means for generatingmanaging information including map information indicating positions ofentry points of each of the AV streams and reproduction managinginformation indicating reproduction path change points set on the basisof the entry points included in the map information; and recording meansfor recording the AV streams and the managing information onto arecording medium.

The managing information generating means can generate a correspondencetable describing correspondences between packet numbers and presentationtime stamps of the entry points as the map information.

The encoding means can generate the AV streams one for each of thereproduction paths, and the managing information generating means cangenerate the map information and the reproduction managing informationregarding all the AV streams generated one for each of the reproductionpaths as one correspondence table.

The managing information generating means can generate the mapinformation and the reproduction managing information regarding the AVstreams generated one for each of the reproduction paths separately foreach of the reproduction paths.

The managing information generated by the managing informationgenerating means can include information for specifying each of the AVstreams generated one for each of the reproduction paths and informationfor specifying a section where a plurality of the reproduction paths arepresent.

The encoding means can perform encoding such that a video stream of eachsection starting at the reproduction path change point is a Closed GOPstarting with an I-picture and a first packet is a video packet, and theAV streams generated by the encoding means can be included in atransport stream.

The encoding means can set an identical value as a video packet ID ofthe transport stream and an identical value as an audio packet ID of thetransport stream in all the reproduction paths.

The information processing apparatus can further includesource-packetizing means for source-packetizing the transport stream ofeach section, and the recording means can record the transport stream ofeach section source-packetized by the source-packetizing means as an AVstream file on the recording medium.

When recording the AV streams on the recording medium, the recordingmeans can record the AV streams after interleaving the AV streams suchthat the sections of the reproduction paths are in predetermined order.

When recording the AV streams on the recording medium, the recordingmeans can record the AV streams such that a plurality of sections of anidentical reproduction path are continuous with each other.

The reproduction managing information can include change informationindicating whether reproduction paths can be changed at the entrypoints.

According to the present invention, there is provided a secondinformation processing method characterized by including: an encodingstep of generating each of AV streams forming a plurality ofreproduction paths; a managing information generating step of generatingmanaging information including map information indicating positions ofentry points of each of the AV streams and reproduction managinginformation indicating reproduction path change points set on the basisof the entry points included in the map information; and a recordingstep of recording the AV streams and the managing information onto arecording medium.

According to the present invention, there is provided a program recordedon a first program storing medium, the program making a computer performprocessing characterized by including: an encoding step of generatingeach of AV streams forming a plurality of reproduction paths; a managinginformation generating step of generating managing information includingmap information indicating positions of entry points of each of the AVstreams and reproduction managing information indicating reproductionpath change points set on the basis of the entry points included in themap information; and a recording step of recording the AV streams andthe managing information onto a recording medium.

According to the present invention, there is provided a first programcharacterized by making a computer perform processing including: anencoding step of generating each of AV streams forming a plurality ofreproduction paths; a managing information generating step of generatingmanaging information including map information indicating positions ofentry points of each of the AV streams and reproduction managinginformation indicating reproduction path change points set on the basisof the entry points included in the map information; and a recordingstep of recording the AV streams and the managing information onto arecording medium.

According to the present invention, there is provided a secondinformation processing apparatus characterized by including: readingmeans for reading reproduction managing information given to eachreproduction path having each section divided by a reproduction pathchange point of an AV stream as a unit, and reading map informationincluding a correspondence table describing a correspondence between apacket number and a presentation time stamp of the change point of theAV stream; reproducing means for reproducing the AV streams recorded ona recording medium on the basis of the reproduction managing informationread by the reading means; retrieving means for, when an instruction tomake a reproduction path change is given, retrieving the reproductionmanaging information of a reproduction path from which to make thereproduction path change and the reproduction managing information of areproduction path to which to make the reproduction path change; firstobtaining means for obtaining a reproduction end position of the AVstream of the reproduction path from which to make the reproduction pathchange on the basis of the reproduction managing information of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change andthe correspondence table of the reproduction path from which to make thereproduction path change; second obtaining means for obtaining areproduction start position of the AV stream of the reproduction path towhich to make the reproduction path change on the basis of thereproduction managing information of the reproduction path to which tomake the reproduction path change and the correspondence table of thereproduction path to which to make the reproduction path change; andcontrol means for controlling the reproducing means to move areproducing point at the reproduction end position to the reproductionstart position.

According to the present invention, there is provided a secondinformation processing method characterized by including: a reading stepof reading reproduction managing information given to each reproductionpath having each section divided by a reproduction path change point ofan AV stream as a unit, and reading map information including acorrespondence table describing a correspondence between a packet numberand a presentation time stamp of the change point of the AV stream; areproducing step of reproducing the AV streams recorded on a recordingmedium on the basis of the reproduction managing information read byprocessing of the reading step; a retrieving step of, when aninstruction to make a reproduction path change is given, retrieving thereproduction managing information of a reproduction path from which tomake the reproduction path change and the reproduction managinginformation of a reproduction path to which to make the reproductionpath change; a first obtaining step of obtaining a reproduction endposition of the AV stream of the reproduction path from which to makethe reproduction path change on the basis of the reproduction managinginformation of the reproduction path from which to make the reproductionpath change and the correspondence table of the reproduction path fromwhich to make the reproduction path change; a second obtaining step ofobtaining a reproduction start position of the AV stream of thereproduction path to which to make the reproduction path change on thebasis of the reproduction managing information of the reproduction pathto which to make the reproduction path change and the correspondencetable of the reproduction path to which to make the reproduction pathchange; and a control step of controlling processing of the reproducingstep to move a reproducing point at the reproduction end position to thereproduction start position.

According to the present invention, there is provided a program recordedon a second program storing medium, the program making a computerperform processing characterized by including: a reading step of readingreproduction managing information given to each reproduction path havingeach section divided by a reproduction path change point of an AV streamas a unit, and reading map information including a correspondence tabledescribing a correspondence between a packet number and a presentationtime stamp of the change point of the AV stream; a reproducing step ofreproducing the AV streams recorded on a recording medium on the basisof the reproduction managing information read by processing of thereading step; a retrieving step of, when an instruction to make areproduction path change is given, retrieving the reproduction managinginformation of a reproduction path from which to make the reproductionpath change and the reproduction managing information of a reproductionpath to which to make the reproduction path change; a first obtainingstep of obtaining a reproduction end position of the AV stream of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change on thebasis of the reproduction managing information of the reproduction pathfrom which to make the reproduction path change and the correspondencetable of the reproduction path from which to make the reproduction pathchange; a second obtaining step of obtaining a reproduction startposition of the AV stream of the reproduction path to which to make thereproduction path change on the basis of the reproduction managinginformation of the reproduction path to which to make the reproductionpath change and the correspondence table of the reproduction path towhich to make the reproduction path change; and a control step ofcontrolling processing of the reproducing step to move a reproducingpoint at the reproduction end position to the reproduction startposition.

According to the present invention, there is provided a second programcharacterized by making a computer perform: a reading step of readingreproduction managing information given to each reproduction path havingeach section divided by a reproduction path change point of an AV streamas a unit, and reading map information including a correspondence tabledescribing a correspondence between a packet number and a presentationtime stamp of the change point of the AV stream; a reproducing step ofreproducing the AV streams recorded on a recording medium on the basisof the reproduction managing information read by processing of thereading step; a retrieving step of, when an instruction to make areproduction path change is given, retrieving the reproduction managinginformation of a reproduction path from which to make the reproductionpath change and the reproduction managing information of a reproductionpath to which to make the reproduction path change; a first obtainingstep of obtaining a reproduction end position of the AV stream of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change on thebasis of the reproduction managing information of the reproduction pathfrom which to make the reproduction path change and the correspondencetable of the reproduction path from which to make the reproduction pathchange; a second obtaining step of obtaining a reproduction startposition of the AV stream of the reproduction path to which to make thereproduction path change on the basis of the reproduction managinginformation of the reproduction path to which to make the reproductionpath change and the correspondence table of the reproduction path towhich to make the reproduction path change; and a control step ofcontrolling processing of the reproducing step to move a reproducingpoint at the reproduction end position to the reproduction startposition.

According to the present invention, there is provided a thirdinformation processing apparatus characterized by including: encodingmeans for generating each of AV streams forming a plurality ofreproduction paths; managing information generating means for generatingmanaging information including map information indicating a start pointof the AV stream of each reproduction path and positions of entry pointsof the AV stream, and reproduction managing information including thestart point and an end point of the AV stream, reproduction path changepoints included in the entry points included in the map information, andspecifying information for specifying the AV stream of each reproductionpath; and recording means for recording the AV streams and the managinginformation onto a recording medium.

The managing information generating means can generate a correspondencetable describing correspondences between packet numbers and presentationtime stamps of the entry points as the map information.

The encoding means can generate the AV streams one for each of thereproduction paths, and the managing information generating means cangenerate the map information and the reproduction managing informationregarding all the AV streams generated one for each of the reproductionpaths as one correspondence table.

The managing information generating means can generate the mapinformation and the reproduction managing information regarding the AVstreams generated one for each of the reproduction paths separately foreach of the reproduction paths.

The managing information generated by the managing informationgenerating means can include information for specifying each of the AVstreams generated one for each of the reproduction paths and informationfor specifying a section where a plurality of the reproduction paths arepresent.

The encoding means can perform encoding such that a video stream of eachsection starting at a reproduction path change point is a Closed GOPstarting with an I-picture and a first packet is a video packet, and theAV streams generated by the encoding means can be included in atransport stream.

The encoding means can perform encoding such that a start of the videostream of each section is the Closed GOP and a subsequent part of thevideo stream of each section is a non-Closed GOP.

The information processing apparatus can further includesource-packetizing means for source-packetizing the transport stream ofeach section, and the recording means can record the transport stream ofeach section source-packetized by the source-packetizing means as an AVstream file onto the recording medium.

The managing information generating means can generate onecorrespondence table to be included in the map information, thecorrespondence table corresponding to the AV stream file.

When recording the AV streams on the recording medium, the recordingmeans can record the AV streams after interleaving the AV streams suchthat the sections of the reproduction paths are in predetermined order.

When recording the AV streams on the recording medium, the recordingmeans can record the AV streams such that a plurality of sections of anidentical reproduction path are continuous with each other.

The reproduction managing information can include change informationindicating whether reproduction paths can be changed at the entrypoints.

According to the present invention, there is provided a thirdinformation processing method characterized by including: an encodingstep of generating each of AV streams forming a plurality ofreproduction paths; a managing information generating step of generatingmanaging information including map information indicating a start pointof the AV stream of each reproduction path and positions of entry pointsof the AV stream and reproduction managing information including thestart point and an end point of the AV stream, reproduction path changepoints included in the entry points included in the map information, andspecifying information for specifying the AV stream of each reproductionpath; and a recording step of recording the AV streams and the managinginformation onto a recording medium.

According to the present invention, there is provided a program recordedon a third program storing medium, the program making a computer performprocessing characterized by including: an encoding step of generatingeach of AV streams forming a plurality of reproduction paths; a managinginformation generating step of generating managing information includingmap information indicating a start point of the AV stream of eachreproduction path and positions of entry points of the AV stream andreproduction managing information including the start point and an endpoint of the AV stream, reproduction path change points included in theentry points included in the map information, and specifying informationfor specifying the AV stream of each reproduction path; and a recordingstep of recording the AV streams and the managing information onto arecording medium.

According to the present invention, there is provided a third programcharacterized by making a computer perform: an encoding step ofgenerating each of AV streams forming a plurality of reproduction paths;a managing information generating step of generating managinginformation including map information indicating a start point of the AVstream of each reproduction path and positions of entry points of the AVstream and reproduction managing information including the start pointand an end point of the AV stream, reproduction path change pointsincluded in the entry points included in the map information, andspecifying information for specifying the AV stream of each reproductionpath; and a recording step of recording the AV streams and the managinginformation onto a recording medium.

According to the present invention, there is provided a fourthinformation processing apparatus characterized by including: readingmeans for reading reproduction managing information including areproduction path change point of AV streams, a start point and an endpoint of the AV streams, and specifying information for specifying theAV stream of each reproduction path, and reading map informationincluding a correspondence table describing correspondences betweenpacket numbers and presentation time stamps of the start point and thechange point of the AV streams; reproducing means for reproducing the AVstreams recorded on a recording medium on the basis of the reproductionmanaging information read by the reading means; retrieving means for,when an instruction to make a reproduction path change is given,retrieving a section of a reproduction path from which to make thereproduction path change and a section of a reproduction path to whichto make the reproduction path change; first obtaining means forobtaining a reproduction end position of the AV stream of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change on thebasis of the section of the reproduction path from which to make thereproduction path change and the correspondence table of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change;second obtaining means for obtaining a reproduction start position ofthe AV stream of the reproduction path to which to make the reproductionpath change on the basis of the section of the reproduction path towhich to make the reproduction path change and the correspondence tableof the reproduction path to which to make the reproduction path change;and control means for controlling the reproducing means to move areproducing point at the reproduction end position to the reproductionstart position.

According to the present invention, there is provided a fourthinformation processing method characterized by including: a reading stepof reading reproduction managing information including a reproductionpath change point of AV streams, a start point and an end point of theAV streams, and specifying information for specifying the AV stream ofeach reproduction path, and reading map information including acorrespondence table describing correspondences between packet numbersand presentation time stamps of the start point and the change point ofthe AV streams; a reproducing step of reproducing the AV streamsrecorded on a recording medium on the basis of the reproduction managinginformation read by processing of the reading step; a retrieving stepof, when an instruction to make a reproduction path change is given,retrieving a section of a reproduction path from which to make thereproduction path change and a section of a reproduction path to whichto make the reproduction path change; a first obtaining step ofobtaining a reproduction end position of the AV stream of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change on thebasis of the section of the reproduction path from which to make thereproduction path change and the correspondence table of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change; asecond obtaining step of obtaining a reproduction start position of theAV stream of the reproduction path to which to make the reproductionpath change on the basis of the section of the reproduction path towhich to make the reproduction path change and the correspondence tableof the reproduction path to which to make the reproduction path change;and a control step of controlling processing of the reproducing step tomove a reproducing point at the reproduction end position to thereproduction start position.

According to the present invention, there is provided a program recordedon a fourth program storing medium, the program making a computerperform processing characterized by including: a reading step of readingreproduction managing information including a reproduction path changepoint of AV streams, a start point and an end point of the AV streams,and specifying information for specifying the AV stream of eachreproduction path, and reading map information including acorrespondence table describing correspondences between packet numbersand presentation time stamps of the start point and the change point ofthe AV streams; a reproducing step of reproducing the AV streamsrecorded on a recording medium on the basis of the reproduction managinginformation read by processing of the reading step; a retrieving stepof, when an instruction to make a reproduction path change is given,retrieving a section of a reproduction path from which to make thereproduction path change and a section of a reproduction path to whichto make the reproduction path change; a first obtaining step ofobtaining a reproduction end position of the AV stream of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change on thebasis of the section of the reproduction path from which to make thereproduction path change and the correspondence table of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change; asecond obtaining step of obtaining a reproduction start position of theAV stream of the reproduction path to which to make the reproductionpath change on the basis of the section of the reproduction path towhich to make the reproduction path change and the correspondence tableof the reproduction path to which to make the reproduction path change;and a control step of controlling processing of the reproducing step tomove a reproducing point at the reproduction end position to thereproduction start position.

According to the present invention, there is provided a fourth programcharacterized by making a computer perform: a reading step of readingreproduction managing information including a reproduction path changepoint of AV streams, a start point and an end point of the AV streams,and specifying information for specifying the AV stream of eachreproduction path, and reading map information including acorrespondence table describing correspondences between packet numbersand presentation time stamps of the start point and the change point ofthe AV streams; a reproducing step of reproducing the AV streamsrecorded on a recording medium on the basis of the reproduction managinginformation read by processing of the reading step; a retrieving stepof, when an instruction to make a reproduction path change is given,retrieving a section of a reproduction path from which to make thereproduction path change and a section of a reproduction path to whichto make the reproduction path change; a first obtaining step ofobtaining a reproduction end position of the AV stream of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change on thebasis of the section of the reproduction path from which to make thereproduction path change and the correspondence table of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change; asecond obtaining step of obtaining a reproduction start position of theAV stream of the reproduction path to which to make the reproductionpath change on the basis of the section of the reproduction path towhich to make the reproduction path change and the correspondence tableof the reproduction path to which to make the reproduction path change;and a control step of controlling processing of the reproducing step tomove a reproducing point at the reproduction end position to thereproduction start position.

According to the present invention, there is provided a first recordingmedium characterized in that data is recorded having a structure whereinreproduction managing information includes information on a reproductionpath change point of AV streams and a start point and an end point ofthe AV streams, and map information includes a correspondence tabledescribing correspondences between packet numbers and presentation timestamps of the start point and the change point of the AV streams.

According to the present invention, there is provided a second recordingmedium characterized in that data is recorded having a structure whereinreproduction managing information includes a reproduction path changepoint of AV streams, a start point and an end point of the AV streams,and specifying information for specifying the AV stream of eachreproduction path, and map information includes a correspondence tabledescribing correspondences between packet numbers and presentation timestamps of the start point and the change point of the AV streams.

Each of AV streams forming a plurality of reproduction paths aregenerated, managing information including map information indicatingpositions of entry points of each of the AV streams and reproductionmanaging information indicating reproduction path change points set onthe basis of the entry points included in the map information isgenerated, and the AV streams and the managing information are recordedonto a recording medium.

Reproduction managing information given to each reproduction path havingeach section divided by a reproduction path change point of an AV streamas a unit is read and map information including a correspondence tabledescribing a correspondence between a packet number and a presentationtime stamp of the change point of the AV stream is read, the AV streamrecorded on a recording medium is reproduced on the basis of the readreproduction managing information, when an instruction to make areproduction path change is given, the reproduction managing informationof a reproduction path from which to make the reproduction path changeand the reproduction managing information of a reproduction path towhich to make the reproduction path change are retrieved, a reproductionend position of the AV stream of the reproduction path from which tomake the reproduction path change is obtained on the basis of thereproduction managing information of the reproduction path from which tomake the reproduction path change and the correspondence table of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change, areproduction start position of the AV stream of the reproduction path towhich to make the reproduction path change is obtained on the basis ofthe reproduction managing information of the path and the correspondencetable of the reproduction path to which to make the reproduction pathchange, and the reproduction is controlled to move a reproducing pointat the reproduction end position to the reproduction start position.

Each of AV streams forming a plurality of reproduction paths isgenerated, managing information including map information indicating astart point of the AV stream of each reproduction path and positions ofentry points of the AV stream and reproduction managing informationincluding the start point and an end point of the AV stream,reproduction path change points included in the entry points included inthe map information, and specifying information for specifying the AVstream of each reproduction path is generated, and the AV streams andthe managing information are recorded onto a recording medium.

Reproduction managing information including a reproduction path changepoint of AV streams, a start point and an end point of the AV streams,and specifying information for specifying the AV stream of eachreproduction path is read and map information including a correspondencetable describing correspondences between packet numbers and presentationtime stamps of the start point and the change point of the AV streams isread, the AV stream recorded on a recording medium is reproduced on thebasis of the read reproduction managing information, when an instructionto make a reproduction path change is given, a section of a reproductionpath from which to make the reproduction path change and a section of areproduction path to which to make the reproduction path change areretrieved, a reproduction end position of the AV stream of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change isobtained on the basis of the section of the reproduction path from whichto make the reproduction path change and the correspondence table of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change, areproduction start position of the AV stream of the reproduction path towhich to make the reproduction path change is obtained on the basis ofthe section of the reproduction path to which to make the reproductionpath change and the correspondence table of the reproduction path towhich to make the reproduction path change, and the reproduction iscontrolled to move a reproducing point at the reproduction end positionto the reproduction start position.

Data is recorded having a structure wherein reproduction managinginformation includes information on a reproduction path change point ofAV streams and a start point and an end point of the AV streams, andentity managing information includes a correspondence table describingcorrespondences between packet numbers and presentation time stamps ofthe start point and the change point of the AV streams.

Data is recorded having a structure wherein reproduction managinginformation includes a reproduction path change point of AV streams, astart point and an end point of the AV streams, and specifyinginformation for specifying the AV stream of each reproduction path, andentity managing information includes a correspondence table describingcorrespondences between packet numbers and presentation time stamps ofthe start point and the change point of the AV streams.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of assistance in explaining a multiangle format of aDVD video;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of arecording and reproducing apparatus to which the present invention isapplied;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of assistance in explaining a structure of anapplication format on a recording medium used in an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a structure of an AV stream file;

FIG. 5 is a diagram of assistance in explaining seamless angle changereproduction in a multiangle;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of assistance in explaining processing in seamlessangle change in a multiangle;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing data contents of Clip Information files;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of assistance in explaining processing fordetermining data reading addresses using EP_maps;

FIG. 9 is a diagram of assistance in explaining a method of multiplexingand recording Clips;

FIG. 10 is a diagram of assistance in explaining a method ofmultiplexing and recording Clips;

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing data contents of Clip Information files;

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing data contents of Clip Information files inthe case of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of assistance in explaining processing forrecording AV signals used in a multiangle;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart of assistance in explaining processing forreproducing recorded multiangle AV stream data;

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of structure of a PlayList;

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a syntax of a PlayItem in FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a flowchart of assistance in explaining reproductionprocessing 1 for reproducing recorded multiangle AV stream data;

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of another structure of an AVstream file;

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of another structure of an AVstream file;

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing data contents of a Clip Information file inthe case of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a syntax of a PlayItem in managing a ClipAV stream file in FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a flowchart of assistance in explaining processing fordetermining data reading addresses using an EP_map in FIG. 20;

FIG. 23 is a diagram of assistance in explaining another method ofmultiplexing and recording Clips;

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a syntax of a PlayItem in FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a flowchart of assistance in explaining reproductionprocessing 2; and

FIG. 26 is a block diagram showing an example of configuration of apersonal computer.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter bedescribed with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows an internal configuration of a recording and reproducingapparatus 1 to which the present invention is applied.

Description will first be made of a configuration of a recording unit 2for performing operation of recording an externally inputted signal ontoa recording medium. The recording and reproducing apparatus 1 isconfigured to be able to receive and record analog data or digital data.

An analog video signal is inputted to a terminal 11, and an analog audiosignal is inputted to a terminal 12. The video signal inputted to theterminal 11 is outputted to an analyzing unit 14 and an AV encoder 15.The audio signal inputted to the terminal 12 is outputted to theanalyzing unit 14 and the AV encoder 15. The analyzing unit 14 extractsscene change points and other characteristic points from the videosignal and the audio signal inputted to the analyzing unit 14.

The AV encoder 15 encodes the video signal and the audio signal inputtedto the AV encoder 15. The AV encoder 15 outputs an encoded video stream(V), an encoded audio stream (A), and system information (S) for AVsynchronization and the like to a multiplexer 16.

The encoded video stream is a video stream encoded by an MPEG (MovingPicture Expert Group) 2 system, for example. The encoded audio stream isfor example an audio stream encoded by an MPEG1 system, an audio streamencoded by a Dolby AC3 system (trademark), or the like. The multiplexer16 multiplexes the video and audio streams input to the multiplexer 16on the basis of the input system information, and then outputs themultiplexed stream to a multiplexed stream analyzing unit 18 and asource packetizer 19 via a switch 17.

The multiplexed stream is for example an MPEG2 transport stream or anMPEG2 program stream. The source packetizer 19 encodes the multiplexedstream inputted to the source packetizer 19 into an AV stream includingsource packets according to an application format of a recording medium100 for recording the stream. The AV stream is subjected to ECC (errorcorrection) code addition and modulation processing by an ECC codingunit 20 and a modulating unit 21. The AV stream is then outputted to awriting unit 22. The writing unit 22 writes (records) the AV stream fileto the recording medium (disk) 100 formed by a DVD, for example, on thebasis of a control signal outputted from a control unit 23.

A transport stream of a digital television broadcast or the likeinputted from a digital interface or a digital television tuner (neitheris shown) is inputted to a terminal 13. There are two methods ofrecording the transport stream inputted to the terminal 13: a method ofrecording the transport stream transparently and a method of recordingthe transport stream after re-encoding the transport stream for purposesof lowering a recording bit rate and the like. Information forspecifying the recording method is inputted from a terminal 24 as a userinterface to the control unit 23.

When the input transport stream is to be recorded transparently, thetransport stream inputted to the terminal 13 is outputted to themultiplexed stream analyzing unit 18 and the source packetizer 19 viathe switch 17. Subsequent processing until the AV stream is recordedonto the recording medium 100 is the same as in the above case ofencoding and recording the input analog audio and video signals, andtherefore description of the subsequent processing will be omitted.

When the input transport stream is to be re-encoded and then recorded,the transport stream inputted to the terminal 13 is inputted from aswitch 25 to a demultiplexer 26. The demultiplexer 26 subjects thetransport stream inputted thereto to demultiplex processing, and therebyextracts a video stream (V), an audio stream (A), and system information(S).

Of the streams (information) extracted by the demultiplexer 26, thevideo stream is outputted to an AV decoder 27, and the audio stream andthe system information are outputted to the multiplexer 16. The AVdecoder 27 decodes the video stream inputted thereto, and then outputs aresulting reproduced video signal to the AV encoder 15. The AV encoder15 encodes the input video signal, and then outputs an encoded videostream (V) to the multiplexer 16.

The audio stream and the system information outputted from thedemultiplexer 26 and inputted to the multiplexer 16 and the video streamoutputted from the AV encoder 15 are multiplexed on the basis of theinput system information, and then outputted as a multiplexed stream tothe multiplexed stream analyzing unit 18 and the source packetizer 19via the switch 17. Subsequent processing until the AV stream is recordedonto the recording medium 100 is the same as in the above case ofencoding and recording the input analog audio and video signals, andtherefore description of the subsequent processing will be omitted.

The recording and reproducing apparatus 1 according to the presentembodiment records an AV stream file onto the recording medium 100 andalso records application database information used for reproduction ofthe file and the like. The application database information is createdby the control unit 23. Information inputted to the control unit 23 ismoving image characteristic information from the analyzing unit 14, AVstream characteristic information from the multiplexed stream analyzingunit 18, and user instruction information inputted from the terminal 24.

The moving image characteristic information supplied from the analyzingunit 14 is generated by the analyzing unit 14 when the AV encoder 15encodes a video signal. The analyzing unit 14 analyzes contents of theinput video signal and audio signal, and generates information relatedto characteristic images in the input moving image signal. For example,the information is specifying information that specifies a start pointof a program in the input video signal, a scene change point, a startpoint and an end point of a commercial or the like, and a characteristicimage such as an image including a title or a telop or the like. In thiscase, such specifying information will be referred to as a clip mark.The clip mark may also include a thumbnail of the image. The clip markfurther includes information on a point of change between a stereo audiosignal and a monophonic audio signal, a section without sound, or thelike.

These pieces of image specifying information are inputted to themultiplexer 16 via the control unit 23. When multiplexing an encodedpicture from the control unit 23 which picture is specified as a clipmark, the multiplexer 16 returns information for identifying the encodedpicture on the AV stream to the control unit 23. This information isspecifically a PTS (Presentation Time Stamp) of the picture or addressinformation of the encoded picture on the AV stream. The control unit 23stores a type of the characteristic image and the information foridentifying the encoded picture on the AV stream in association witheach other.

The AV stream characteristic information from the multiplexed streamanalyzing unit 18 relates to information on encoding of an AV stream tobe recorded, and is generated by the multiplexed stream analyzing unit18. For example, the AV stream characteristic information includes atime stamp and address information of an I-picture within the AV stream,information on a discontinuity of a system time clock, encodingparameters of the AV stream, information on a point of change of theencoding parameters in the AV stream, and the like. When the transportstream inputted from the terminal 13 is to be recorded transparently,the multiplexed stream analyzing unit 18 detects a picture having acharacteristic as described above from the input transport stream, andgenerates information for identifying a type of the picture and thepicture specified by a clip mark.

The user instruction information inputted from the terminal 24 includesinformation specifying a reproducing section specified by the user inthe AV stream, characters describing contents in the reproducingsection, information on a resume point or a bookmark set at a desiredscene by the user, and the like.

On the basis of the above input information, the control unit 23 createsan AV stream database (Clip Information), a database of PlayLists formedby grouping reproducing sections (PlayItems) in the AV stream,information (info.dvr) for managing contents recorded on the recordingmedium 100, and thumbnail information. As with an AV stream, theapplication database information including these pieces of informationis processed by the ECC encoding unit 20 and the modulating unit 21, andthen inputted to the writing unit 22. The writing unit 22 records adatabase file onto the recording medium 100 on the basis of a controlsignal outputted from the control unit 23.

Details of the above-mentioned application database information will bedescribed later.

When the AV stream file (a file of video data and audio data) and theapplication database information thus recorded on the recording medium100 are to be reproduced by a reproducing unit 3, the control unit 23first instructs a reading unit 28 to read the application databaseinformation from the recording medium 100. The reading unit 28 reads theapplication database information from the recording medium 100. Theapplication database information is subjected to demodulation and errorcorrection processing by a demodulating unit 29 and an ECC decoding unit30, and then inputted to the control unit 23.

On the basis of the application database information, the control unit23 outputs a list of PlayLists recorded on the recording medium 100 tothe user interface of the terminal 24. The user selects a PlayListdesired to be reproduced from the list of the PlayLists, and therebyinformation on the PlayList specified for reproduction is inputted fromthe terminal 24 to the control unit 23. The control unit 23 instructsthe reading unit 28 to read an AV stream file necessary for thereproduction of that PlayList. The reading unit 28 reads a correspondingAV stream from the recording medium 100 according to the instruction,and outputs the AV stream to the demodulating unit 29. The AV streaminputted to the demodulating unit 29 is demodulated by being subjectedto predetermined processing, then processed by the ECC decoding unit 30,and outputted to a source depacketizer 31.

The source depacketizer 31 converts the AV stream in an applicationformat after being read from the recording medium 100 and subjected tothe predetermined processing into a stream that can be processed by thedemultiplexer 26. The demultiplexer 26 outputs, to the AV decoder 27, avideo stream (V), an audio stream (A), and system information (S) for AVsynchronization and the like, which include a reproducing section(PlayItem) of the AV stream specified by the control unit 23. The AVdecoder 27 decodes the video stream and the audio stream, and thenoutputs a reproduced video signal and a reproduced audio signal from aterminal 32 and a terminal 33 corresponding to the reproduced videosignal and the reproduced audio signal, respectively.

When information indicating random access reproduction or specialreproduction is inputted from the terminal 24 as the user interface, thecontrol unit 23 determines a position to read an AV stream from therecording medium 100 on the basis of contents of the AV stream database(Clip Information), and then instructs the reading unit 28 to read theAV stream. When a PlayList selected by the user is reproduced from apredetermined time, for example, the control unit 23 instructs thereading unit 28 to read data from an I-picture having a time stampclosest to the specified time.

When the user selects a clip mark from program start points or scenechange points stored in clip marks (ClipMarks) in Clip Informationrecorded attached to an AV stream (Clip) as an AV stream databaseforming application database information (for example, this operation isperformed when a thumbnail picture list of the program start points orthe scene change points stored in the ClipMarks is displayed on the userinterface and the user selects a picture from the thumbnail picturelist), the control unit 23 determines a position to read the AV streamfrom the recording medium 100 on the basis of contents of the ClipInformation, and then instructs the reading unit 28 to read the AVstream. Specifically, the control unit 23 instructs the reading unit 28to read data from an I-picture at an address closest to an address onthe AV stream at which address of the picture selected by the user isstored. The reading unit 28 reads data from the specified address. Theread data is subjected to processing by the demodulating unit 29, theECC decoding unit 30, and the source depacketizer 31, inputted to thedemultiplexer 26, and then decoded by the AV decoder 27, whereby the AVdata indicated by the address of the picture at the mark point isreproduced.

When an instruction for high-speed reproduction (fast-forward playback)is given by the user, the control unit 23 instructs the reading unit 28to read I-picture data in the AV stream sequentially on the basis of theAV stream database (Clip Information).

The reading unit 28 reads AV stream data from random access pointsspecified as a position where an I-picture is recorded. The read data issubjected to processing by the parts in the subsequent stage, and isthereby reproduced.

Description will next be made of a case where the user edits an AVstream recorded on the recording medium 100. When the user desires tocreate a new reproduction path (new PlayList) by specifying reproducingsections in AV streams recorded on the recording medium 100, for examplewhen the user desires to create a new reproduction path to reproduce asegment of a singer A from a song program A and then reproduce a segmentof the singer A from a song program B continuously, information of startpoints (IN points) and end points (OUT points) of the reproducingsections is inputted from the terminal 24 as the user interface to thecontrol unit 23. The control unit 23 creates a database of a group(PlayList) of the reproducing sections (PlayItems) of the AV streams.

When the user desires to erase a part of an AV stream recorded on therecording medium 100, information of an IN point and an OUT point of thesection to be erased is inputted from the terminal 24 as the userinterface to the control unit 23. The control unit 23 changes thePlayList database to refer to only necessary AV stream portions. Inaddition, the control unit 23 instructs the writing unit 22 to erase theunnecessary stream portion of the AV stream.

Description will be made of a case where the user desires to create anew reproduction path by specifying reproducing sections in AV streamsrecorded on the recording medium 100 and desires to connect thereproducing sections to each other seamlessly. In this case, the controlunit 23 creates a database of a group (PlayList) of the reproducingsections (PlayItems) of the AV streams, and further performs partialre-encoding and re-multiplexing of video streams around a point ofconnection between the reproducing sections.

First, information on pictures at an IN point and an OUT point of thereproducing sections is inputted from the terminal 24 to the controlunit 23. The control unit 23 instructs the reading unit 28 to read datarequired to reproduce the pictures on the IN point side and pictures onthe OUT point side. The reading unit 28 reads the data from therecording medium 100. The data is passed through the demodulating unit29, the ECC decoding unit 30, and the source depacketizer 31, and thenoutputted to the demultiplexer 26.

The control unit 23 analyzes the data inputted to the demultiplexer 26,and determines a re-encoding method (changing a picture_coding_type andassigning an amount of encoding bits for re-encoding) and are-multiplexing method for the video stream. The control unit 23 thensupplies the methods to the AV encoder 15 and the multiplexer 16.

Next, the demultiplexer 26 separates the input stream into a videostream (V), an audio stream (A), and system information (S). The videostream includes data inputted to the AV decoder 27 and data inputted tothe multiplexer 16. The former data is required for re-encoding. Thedata is decoded by the AV decoder 27, and decoded pictures arere-encoded into a video stream by the AV encoder 15. The latter data isnot re-encoded, and is copied from the original stream. The audio streamand the system information are inputted directly to the multiplexer 16.

The multiplexer 16 multiplexes the input streams on the basis of theinformation inputted from the control unit 23, and then outputs amultiplexed stream. The multiplexed stream is processed by the ECCcoding unit 20 and the modulating unit 21, and then inputted to thewriting unit 22. The writing unit 22 records the AV stream onto therecording medium 100 on the basis of a control signal supplied from thecontrol unit 23.

Description will be made below of the application database informationand operations such as reproduction, editing and the like based on theinformation. FIG. 3 schematically shows a structure of an applicationformat on the recording medium 100 used in the embodiment of the presentinvention.

The application format has two layers, that is, a PlayList layer and aClip layer to manage AV streams. Volume Information manages all Clipsand PlayLists within the disk. In this case, a pair of one AV stream andinformation attached thereto is considered to be one object, and isreferred to as a Clip. An AV stream file is referred to as a Clip AVstream file, and information attached thereto is referred to as a ClipInformation file.

One Clip AV stream file stores data in which an MPEG2 transport streamis arranged in a structure defined by the application format. Ingeneral, a file is handled as a byte string, while contents of the ClipAV stream file are extended on a time base and an entry point(I-picture) in the Clip is specified mainly on the time base. When atime stamp of a point of access (including an entry point) to apredetermined Clip is given, the Clip Information file helps findinformation on an address at which to start data reading in the Clip AVstream file.

PlayLists will be described with reference to FIG. 3. PlayLists areprovided to allow a user to select reproducing sections desired to beviewed by the user from Clips and easily edit the reproducing sections.One PlayList is a collection of reproducing sections in a Clip. Onereproducing section in a given Clip is referred to as a PlayItem, whichis represented by a pair of an IN point and an OUT point on the timebase. Thus, the PlayList is formed by a collection of one or morePlayItems.

There are two types of PlayLists. One is Real PlayList, and the other isVirtual PlayList. A Real PlayList shares the stream portion of a Clipthat the Real PlayList refers to. That is, the Real PlayList occupies adata space in the disk which space corresponds to the stream portion ofthe Clip that the Real PlayList refers to. When the Real PlayList iserased, data of the stream portion of the Clip that the Real PlayListrefers to is also erased.

A Virtual PlayList does not share the data of a Clip. Even when aVirtual PlayList is changed or erased, no change occurs in contents ofClips.

Description will be made of a DVR MPEG-2 transport stream. FIG. 4 showsa structure of an AV stream file.

The AV stream file has a structure of a DVR MPEG2 transport stream. TheDVR MPEG2 transport stream includes an integral number of Aligned units.Size of an Aligned unit is 6144 bytes (2048×3 bytes). An Aligned unit isstarted with a first byte of a source packet. A source packet has alength of 192 bytes. One source packet includes a TP_extra_header and atransport packet. The TP_extra_header has a length of four bytes, andthe transport packet has a length of 188 bytes.

One Aligned unit includes 32 source packets. The last Aligned unit inthe DVR MPEG2 transport stream also includes 32 source packets. Thus,the DVR MPEG2 transport stream is terminated at a boundary of theAligned unit. When the number of transport packets of the inputtransport stream to be recorded on the recording medium (disk) 100 isnot a multiple of 32, source packets having a null packet (transportpacket with PID=0x1FFF) are used in the last Aligned unit. The filesystem (control unit 23) does not add extra information (effectiveinformation) to the DVR MPEG2 transport stream.

FIG. 5 shows a structure used in the present invention to enablemultiangle reproduction to be performed seamlessly (without interruptionof reproduced video or audio at a time of angle change) by changingangles.

Suppose that there are three angles Angle#1, Angle#2, and Angle#3 in amultiangle section. In this case, each angle forms one PlayList. In theexample of FIG. 5, Angle#1, Angle#2, and Angle#3 are formed byPlayList#1, PlayList#2, and PlayList#3, respectively. Suppose that AVstream data corresponding to reproducing sections of Angle#1, Angle#2,and Angle#3 is Clip 1 (Clip AV stream 1), Clip 2 (Clip AV stream 2), andClip 3 (Clip AV stream 3), respectively.

In the example of FIG. 5, the reproducing sections are divided intodifferent PlayItems by positions of timing that allows a change from oneangle to another angle (angle change points). When the reproducingsection of Angle#1 is divided into three sections, for example,PlayList#1 includes three PlayItems corresponding to the reproducingsections a1, a2, and a3, and the AV stream data of Clip 1 correspondingto the reproducing sections a1, a2, and a3 is A1, A2, and A3,respectively. When the reproducing section of Angle#2 is divided intothree sections, PlayList#2 includes three PlayItems corresponding to thereproducing sections b1, b2, and b3, and the AV stream data of Clip 2corresponding to the reproducing sections b1, b2, and b3 is B1, B2, andB3, respectively. When the reproducing section of Angle#3 is dividedinto three sections, PlayList#3 includes three PlayItems correspondingto the reproducing sections c1, c2, and c3, and the AV stream data ofClip 3 corresponding to the reproducing sections c1, c2, and c3 is C1,C2, and C3, respectively.

The PlayItems of the reproducing sections a1, b1, and c1 have a set ofthe same IN point (IN_time) and the same OUT point (OUT_time). Forexample, the IN_time is T1, and the OUT_time is T2. Similarly, thePlayItems of the reproducing sections a2, b2, and c2 have a set of thesame IN point (IN_time) and the same OUT point (OUT_time). For example,the IN_time is T2, and the OUT_time is T3. The PlayItems of thereproducing sections a3, b3, and c3 have a set of the same IN point(IN_time) and the same OUT point (OUT_time). For example, the IN_time isT3, and the OUT_time is T4. In this case, T1, T2, T3, and T4 each denotea PTS (Presentation Time Stamp) on the AV streams. Incidentally, T1, T2,T3, and T4 may be at equal intervals.

Basic processing in seamless angle change in a multiangle will bedescribed with reference to a flowchart of FIG. 6.

In step S1, the control unit 23 determines whether an instruction tochange an angle being reproduced now is given from the user. When thecontrol unit 23 determines that no instruction to change the angle isgiven, the processing proceeds to step S2, where the control unit 23determines whether an instruction to end the reproduction is given bythe user. When the control unit 23 determines that an instruction to endthe reproduction is given, the processing is ended.

When the control unit 23 determines in step S2 that no instruction toend the reproduction is given, the processing returns to step S1 torepeat the processing from step S1 on down. When the control unit 23determines in step S1 that an instruction to change the angle is given,the control unit 23 determines in step S3 whether the reproducingposition is an angle change point. When the current position is not anangle change point, the control unit 23 stands by until the reproducingposition reaches an angle change point.

When the control unit 23 determines in step S3 that the reproducingposition has reached an angle change point, the control unit 23 changes(jumps) the reproducing position to a start position of an AV streamspecified by the PlayItem of the specified angle in step S4. Then, thedata of the AV stream is reproduced. Thereafter the processing returnsto step S1 to repeat the processing from step S1 on down.

Thus, in the example of FIG. 5, the AV stream data A1 of Clip AV stream1 corresponding to the reproducing section of Angle#1 is reproduced, theAV stream data B2 of Clip AV stream 2 corresponding to the reproducingsection of Angle#2 is reproduced, and then the AV stream data C3 of ClipAV stream 3 corresponding to the reproducing section of Angle#3 isreproduced sequentially.

Information of a start address and an end address and information ofdata size (byte quantity) of the PlayItems are obtained from a ClipInformation file of the respective Clips.

FIG. 7 shows data contents of Clip Information files.

Each piece of video stream data in the AV stream data A1, B1, and C1starts with a Sequence header followed by a Closed GOP. A time stamp forstarting display of each piece of video stream data is the same, or T1,and a period of display of each piece of video stream data is the same,or (T1-T2). The Closed GOP is closed within one section (for example thereproducing sections a1, b1, and c1), and is encoded so as to becompleted within the section. Of course, as long as the data is encodedso as to be completed within each section, that is, unless there is apredictive relation between one section (for example the reproducingsection a1) and another section (for example the reproducing sectionb1), the data does not need to be a GOP.

Each piece of video stream data in the AV stream data A2, B2, and C2also starts with a Sequence header followed by a Closed GOP. A timestamp for starting display of each piece of video stream data is thesame, or T2, and a period of display of each piece of video stream datais the same, or (T2-T3).

Each piece of video stream data in the AV stream data A3, B3, and C3also starts with a Sequence header followed by a Closed GOP. A timestamp for starting display of each piece of video stream data is thesame, or T3, and a period of display of each piece of video stream datais the same, or (T3-T4). Incidentally, a picture displayed first in theClosed GOP of the video stream data in all of the AV stream data A1, B1,C1, A2, B2, C2, A3, B3, and C3 is an I-picture.

Audio stream data in the AV stream data A1, B1, and C1 is the same.Audio stream data in the AV stream data A2, B2, and C2 is the same.Audio stream data in the AV stream data A3, B3, and C3 is the same.

The AV stream data A1, B1, and C1 includes video packets and audiopackets. A first packet of each of the pieces of AV stream data A1, B1,and C1 is a video packet. A payload of the video packet starts with anI-picture following a Sequence header and a GOP header. A first packetof each of the pieces of AV stream data A2, B2, and C2 is also a videopacket. A payload of the video packet starts with an I-picture followinga Sequence header and a GOP header. A first packet of each of the piecesof AV stream data A3, B3, and C3 is also a video packet. A payload ofthe video packet starts with an I-picture following a Sequence headerand a GOP header.

Incidentally, each of the pieces of AV stream data A1, B1, and C1 maystart with a packet including control information such as a PAT (ProgramAssociation Table), a PMT (Program Map Table) and the like, and have avideo packet as a first subsequent elementary stream packet.

A Clip Information file has an EP_map, which is a map describingcorrespondences between time stamps of entry points in the Clip andsource packet numbers at which to start stream decoding in the Clip AVstream file. Incidentally, the source packet number is incremented byone in order of source packets in an AV stream file (FIG. 4). The sourcepacket number of a first source packet in the file is zero.

Supposing that first packet numbers of the pieces of AV stream data A1,A2, and A3 are x1, x2, and x3, that first packet numbers of the piecesof AV stream data B1, B2, and B3 are y1, y2, and y3, and that firstpacket numbers of the pieces of AV stream data C1, C2, and C3 are z1,z2, and z3, the EP_maps of Clip Information 1, 2, and 3 have contents asshown in FIG. 7.

In the EP_map of Clip Information 1 of Clip AV stream 1, payloads ofsource packets indicated by the numbers x1, x2, and x3 start withI-pictures whose time stamps have display start times of T1, T2, and T3,respectively.

In the EP_map of Clip Information 2 of Clip AV stream 2, payloads ofsource packets indicated by the numbers y1, y2, and y3 start withI-pictures whose time stamps have display start times of T1, T2, and T3,respectively.

In the EP_map of Clip Information 3 of Clip AV stream 3, payloads ofsource packets indicated by the numbers z1, z2, and z3 start withI-pictures whose time stamps have display start times of T1, T2, and T3,respectively.

With reference to a flowchart of FIG. 8, description will next be madeof processing for determining data reading addresses using the EP_mapsby taking as an example a case of changing angles and therebyreproducing the reproducing section a1 defined by the first PlayItem ofAngle#1, the reproducing section b2 defined by the second PlayItem ofAngle#2, and the reproducing section c3 defined by the third PlayItem ofAngle#3.

In step S21, processing for changing a reproduction path is performed.Specifically, in order to read the AV stream data A1 of the reproducingsection corresponding to the reproducing section a1 defined by the firstPlayItem of Angle#1, the control unit 23 obtains a reading start addressand a reading end address of the AV stream data A1 from the EP_map ofClip 1. In step S22, the control unit 23 reads the source packet numberx1 corresponding to the time stamp T1 as the reading start address ofthe AV stream data A1 from the EP_map, and reads the source packetnumber x2 corresponding to the time stamp T2 as the reading end addressof the AV stream data A1 from the EP_map and further determines a sourcepacket number (x2-1) immediately preceding the source packet number x2as the reading end address of the AV stream data A1.

In step S23, in order to read the AV stream data B2 of the reproducingsection corresponding to the reproducing section b2 defined by thesecond PlayItem of Angle#2, the control unit 23 obtains a reading startaddress T2 and a reading end address T3 of the AV stream data B2 fromthe EP_map of Clip 2. In step S24, the control unit 23 determines thesource packet number y2 corresponding to the time stamp T2 as thereading start address of the AV stream data B2, and determines a sourcepacket number (y3-1) immediately preceding the source packet number y3corresponding to the time stamp T3 as the reading end address of the AVstream data B2.

In step S25, in order to read the AV stream data C3 of the reproducingsection corresponding to the reproducing section c3 defined by the thirdPlayItem of Angle#3, the control unit 23 obtains a reading start addressT3 and a reading end address T4 of the AV stream data C3 from the EP_mapof Clip 3. In step S26, the control unit 23 determines the source packetnumber z3 corresponding to the time stamp T3 as the reading startaddress of the AV stream data C3, and determines a last source packetnumber of Clip 3 as the reading end address of the AV stream data C3.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of assistance in explaining a method of multiplexingClips and recording the Clips on a disk.

When AV stream data corresponding to PlayItems of angles including amultiangle is recorded on the recording medium 100, it is desirable todivide the AV stream data of the angles into pieces of data inpredetermined sections, interleave the pieces of data, and then recordthe pieces of data in such an order as A1, B1, C1, A2, B2, C2, A3, B3,and C3, as shown in FIG. 9. This minimizes a jump time when angle changeis made at each PlayItem.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of assistance in explaining another method ofmultiplexing Clips and recording the Clips on a disk.

When AV stream data corresponding to PlayItems of angles including amultiangle is recorded on the recording medium 100, the AV stream dataof the angles is interleaved and recorded in units of a plurality of (inthe example of FIG. 10, three) pieces of continuous data in the AVstream data of the same angle (in units of “A1, A2, and A3,” “B1, B2,and B3,” and “C1, C2, and C3,” for example), in such an order as A1, A2,A3, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, and C3, for example, as shown in FIG. 10. Whenthe AV stream data interleaved and recorded as shown in FIG. 10 isreproduced with angle change, addresses of angle change points (forexample source packet numbers x1, x2, x3, . . . corresponding to timestamps T1, T2, T3, . . . as reading start addresses of the AV streamdata A1, A2, A3, . . . in FIG. 11) are obtained from EP_maps of the AVstreams as in FIG. 7, as shown in FIG. 11.

Thereby, as compared with the example of FIG. 9, although a jump timewhen angles are changed at each PlayItem is increased, an amount of datafor managing the fragmented file data can be reduced. For example, theexample of FIG. 10 can reduce the amount of data for managing thefragmented file data to ⅓ as compared with the example of FIG. 9.

Thus, when recording multiangle AV stream data on the recording medium(disk) 100, the user can select the methods of multiplexing andrecording Clips as described with reference to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 inadvance according to whether the user gives priority to the access speedof a drive in the reproduction of the recording medium 100 or the amountof data for managing file data, and interleave and record AV stream dataof angles by a selected predetermined recording method.

In the example of FIG. 11, entry points entered in the EP_maps are allangle change points. When entry points entered in EP_maps include entrypoints that are not angle change points, for each entry point in theEP_maps, a flag indicating whether the entry point is an angle changepoint may be recorded in the EP_maps as shown in FIG. 12.

As shown in FIG. 12, each entry point in the EP_map (EP_map of ClipInformation 1 in FIG. 12) of Clip 1 (Clip AV stream 1) has field data ofis_AngleChange_point, PTS_EP_start, and SPN_EP_start.

The is_AngleChange_point indicates whether angle change is possible atthe entry point. The SPN_EP_start indicates a packet number of the entrypoint. The PTS_EP_start indicates a display start time of the entrypoint.

For example, entry points whose SPN_EP_start is x1, x2, or x3 allowangle change, and therefore the is_AngleChange_point of the entry pointsis “1.” Entry points whose SPN_EP_start is x11 or x12 do not allow anglechange, and therefore the is_AngleChange_point of the entry points is“0.” In other words, the is_AngleChange_point means that even when anglechange is made at an entry point whose is_AngleChange_point is “0,”seamless change is not ensured, that is, continuous supply of AV streamdata at a predetermined bit rate is not ensured.

The same applies to the EP_map (EP_map of Clip Information 2 in FIG. 12)of Clip 2 (Clip AV stream 2). Entry points whose SPN_EP_start is y1, y2,or y3 allow angle change, and therefore the is_AngleChange_point of theentry points is “1.”

The same applies to the EP_map (EP_map of Clip Information 3 in FIG. 12)of Clip 3 (Clip AV stream 3). Entry points whose SPN_EP_start is z1, z2,or z3 allow angle change, and therefore the is_AngleChange_point of theentry points is “1.”

When the AV stream data interleaved and recorded as shown in FIG. 10 isreproduced with angle change, addresses of angle change points (forexample the source packet numbers x1, x2, x3, . . . corresponding totime stamps T1, T2, T3, . . . as reading start addresses of the AVstream data A1, A2, A3, . . . in FIG. 12) are obtained from the EP_mapsof the AV streams as in FIG. 7, as shown in FIG. 12.

Processing for recording AV signals used in a multiangle onto therecording medium 100 will next be described with reference to aflowchart of FIG. 13.

In step S41, the control unit 23 instructs the user via the userinterface 24 to divide a section of each angle for forming themultiangle into a plurality of predetermined sections. On the basis ofthe instruction, the user inputs an instruction to divide the wholesection of each angle by change points. The control unit 23 obtains theinstruction. In step S42, the AV encoder 15 encodes a video signal ofeach of the divided sections into a video stream starting with a ClosedGOP, and encodes an audio signal of each of the sections into an audiostream. This encode processing is performed on video signals and audiosignals of all angles.

In step S43, the multiplexer 16 multiplexes the video stream and theaudio stream of each section into a transport stream of each section. Instep S44, the multiplexer 16 interleaves the pieces of AV stream data ofthe angles in such an order as A1, B1, C1, A2, B2, C2, A3, B3, and C3,for example. The multiplexer 16 performs the multiplexing such that afirst packet is a video packet and the video packet starts with anI-picture of a Closed GOP.

In step S45, the source packetizer 19 source-packetizes the transportstream of each predetermined section, and the writing unit 22 recordsthe source-packetized transport stream as an AV stream file onto therecording medium 100. Thereby Clip AV stream files of the anglesincluding the source-packetized and recorded transport stream aregenerated on the recording medium 100. Incidentally, a video packet ID(PID) of the transport stream is the same in all the angles. An audiopacket ID of the transport stream is also the same in all the angles.

In step S46, the multiplexed stream analyzing unit 18 obtains a timestamp of a first I-picture of the transport stream of each section and apacket number of a packet whose payload starts with the I-picture. Thecontrol unit 23 adds a set of the time stamp and the packet number to anEP_map (When there is no EP_map, an EP_map is generated).

In step S47, the control unit 23 controls the writing unit 22 to recordthe EP_map generated for each Clip AV stream file in a predeterminedarea of the recording medium 100 collectively (in a concentratedmanner).

In step S48, the control unit 23 generates PlayLists. In step S49, thecontrol unit 23 controls the writing unit 22 to record PlayList filesrepresenting the predetermined sections in the form of PlayItems andhaving such a data structure in a predetermined area of the recordingmedium 100 collectively (in a concentrated manner). Incidentally, in thecase where entry points entered in the EP_maps include entry points thatare not angle change points as shown in FIG. 12, angle change points areset on the basis of flags (“1” and “0”) of the EP_maps as shown in FIG.12 when the control unit 23 generates the PlayLists in step S48.

Processing for reproducing the thus recorded multiangle AV stream datawill next be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG. 14.

In step S61, the control unit 23 reads all the PlayList files formingthe multiangle and the Clip Information file (including the EP_map) of aClip that each PlayList refers to from the recording medium 100. Thatis, pre-reading is performed. The EP_maps are recorded collectively, andcan therefore be read quickly.

In step S62, on the basis of a PlayList read in the processing of stepS61, the control unit 23 sequentially reproduces AV stream data from aposition specified by a first PlayItem of the PlayList. In step S63, thecontrol unit 23 determines whether the user has given an instruction tochange angles via the user interface 24. When the control unit 23determines that the user has not given an instruction to change angles,the control unit 23 determines in step S64 whether the user has given aninstruction to end the reproduction. When the control unit 23 determinesthat the user has given an instruction to end the reproduction, theprocessing is ended. When the control unit 23 determines that the userhas not given an instruction to end the reproduction, the processingreturns to step S63.

When the control unit 23 determines in step S63 that the user has givenan instruction to change angles, the control unit 23 in step S65retrieves a first PlayItem having a future display end time closest to apresent reproduction time in the PlayList corresponding to an angle fromwhich to make the angle change (angle currently being reproduced). Whenan instruction to change from Angle#1 to Angle#2 is given between thetime stamps T1 and T2 in the example of FIG. 5, for example, thePlayItem a1 is the target first PlayItem. In step S66, the control unit23 retrieves a second PlayItem having the display end time of the firstPlayItem as a display start time in a PlayList corresponding to an angleto which to make the angle change. When an instruction to change fromAngle#1 to Angle#2 is given between the time stamps T1 and T2 in theexample of FIG. 5, for example, the PlayItem b2 is the target secondPlayItem.

In step S67, the control unit 23 obtains a source packet numbercorresponding to the display end time of the first PlayItem by referringto the EP_map of the Clip that the first PlayItem refers to, and sets asource packet immediately preceding the source packet number as a datareading end point of the angle from which to make the angle change.

In step S68, the control unit 23 obtains a source packet numbercorresponding to the display start time of the second PlayItem byreferring to the EP_map of the Clip that the second PlayItem refers to,and sets a source packet of the source packet number as a data readingstart point of the angle to which to make the angle change.

In step S69, the control unit 23 determines whether the presentreproducing position is the end point calculated in the processing ofstep S67. When the present reproducing position is not the end point,the control unit 23 stands by until the present reproducing positionreaches the end point. When the present reproducing position reaches theend point, the processing proceeds to step S70, where the control unit23 jumps the reproducing position to the start point calculated in theprocessing of step S68. Thereafter the processing returns to step S63 torepeat the processing from step S63 on down.

FIG. 15 shows another example of a PlayList including a multiangle.

In the example of FIG. 15, there is one multiangle PlayList, and thereis one PlayItem in the PlayList. The PlayItem has three pieces ofinformation, for example. The first piece of information is information(specifying information) on AV streams used in multiangle reproductionto which streams to make reference. For example, in the example of FIG.15, Clip AV stream 1, Clip AV stream 2, and Clip AV stream 3 are streamsto which to make reference. Thus, the specifying information (pointer)specifies them. The second piece of information is an IN point (IN_time)and an OUT point (OUT_time) that indicate a time section of themultiangle reproduction. In the example of FIG. 15, IN_time=T1 andOUT_time=T4. The third piece of information is times of entry pointsrepresenting angle change points in the time section of the multianglereproduction. In the example of FIG. 15, the times are T2 and T3.

FIG. 16 shows a syntax of the PlayItem in FIG. 15.

A Clip_information_file_name represents AV streams used in themultiangle reproduction to which streams to make reference. An IN_timeand an OUT_time represent the time section of the multianglereproduction. An entry_time [i] is the time of an entry point allowingangle change in the time section of the multiangle reproduction. Ofcourse, also in the case of the PlayItem in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, thethree EP_maps described with reference to FIG. 7 are all used as theyare for conversion from time to data addresses.

Processing for recording AV signals used for the multiangle onto therecording medium 100 in the case where the PlayList and the PlayItem areformed as shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 is the same as in the caserepresented by the flowchart of FIG. 13, and therefore descriptionthereof will be omitted. In this example, however, the PlayListsgenerated in step S48 and recorded in step S49 are the PlayList filehaving the data structure that indicates the time of an entry pointallowing angle change by the entry_time [i].

Reproduction processing 1 for reproducing the recorded multiangle inthis example is as shown in FIG. 17. Processing from step S91 to stepS100 is basically the same as the processing from step S61 to step S70in FIG. 14. However, the control unit 23 detects a first reproducingsection in the PlayItem instead of the first PlayItem in step S95, anddetects a second reproducing section in the PlayItem instead of thesecond PlayItem in step S96. When an instruction to change from Angle#1to Angle#2 is given between time stamps T1 and T2 in the example of FIG.15, for example, the first reproducing section is a reproducing sectiona1, and the second reproducing section is a reproducing section b2.

In step S97, the control unit 23 obtains a source packet numbercorresponding to the display end time of a section corresponding to thefirst reproducing section by referring to the EP_map of a Clip that thesection corresponding to the first reproducing section refers to. Instep S98, the control unit 23 obtains a source packet numbercorresponding to the display start time of a section corresponding tothe second reproducing section by referring to the EP_map of a Clip thatthe section corresponding to the second reproducing section refers to.The other processing is the same as in FIG. 14, and thereforedescription thereof will be omitted. Incidentally, a non-seamless signalthat does not ensure seamlessness may be mixed with a seamless signalwithin a multiangle.

FIG. 18 shows an example of another structure of an AV stream file. Inthe cases of FIG. 7 and FIG. 15, an EP_map (in the example of FIG. 7,the EP_map of Clip Information 1 for Clip AV stream 1, the EP_map ofClip Information 2 for Clip AV stream 2, and the EP_map of ClipInformation 3 for Clip AV stream 3) is attached to each of Clip AVstream 1, Clip AV stream 2, and Clip AV stream 3. In the case of FIG.18, on the other hand, one EP_map is attached to three Clip AV streams(that is, Clip AV stream 1, Clip AV stream 2, and Clip AV stream 3), forexample.

In the example of FIG. 18, the AV stream file is interleaved in order ofdata pieces A1, B1, C1, A2, B2, C2, A3, B3, and C3. A source packetnumber in the AV stream file is assigned to each source packet in the AVstream file sequentially (x1, y1, z1, x2, y2, z2, x3, y3, z3 in theexample of FIG. 18) for each Clip AV stream (Clip AV stream 1, Clip AVstream 2, and Clip AV stream 3).

Each of pieces of video stream data in the pieces of AV stream data A1,B1, C1, A2, B2, C2, A3, B3, and C3 in FIG. 18 may include two or moreGOPs. In such a case, a second GOP and subsequent GOPs may be GOPs thatare not Closed GOPs (non-Closed GOPs). However, encoding needs to becompleted within each piece of AV stream data (for example the AV streamdata A1). Suppose that the video stream data of the AV stream data A1includes one Closed GOP and two non-Closed GOPs, for example. In thiscase, as shown in FIG. 19, source packet numbers x1, x11, and x12, forexample, are assigned in the AV stream file, and source packets of thesource packet numbers x11 and x12 correspond to the two non-Closed GOPs,respectively.

In the example of FIG. 19, the video stream data of the piece of AVstream data B1 includes one Closed GOP and two non-Closed GOPs. Sourcepacket numbers y1, y11, and y12 are assigned in the AV stream file, andsource packets of the source packet numbers y11 and y12 are sourcepackets of the two non-Closed GOPs, respectively.

The video stream data of the piece of AV stream data C1 includes oneClosed GOP and two non-Closed GOPs. Source packet numbers z1, z11, andz12 are assigned in the AV stream file, and source packets of the sourcepacket numbers z11 and z12 are source packets of the two non-ClosedGOPs, respectively.

The same applies to the video stream data of the pieces of AV streamdata A2, B2, C2, A3, B3, and C3 in FIG. 19.

FIG. 20 shows data contents of a Clip Information file in the case ofFIG. 19. Contents of the AV stream data A1, B1, C1, A2, B2, C2, A3, B3,and C3 are basically the same as in FIG. 7, and therefore descriptionthereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 20, the Clip Information file attached to the AV streamfile (Clip AV stream file X) has an EP_map, which is a map describingcorrespondences between time stamps of entry points in the Clip andsource packet numbers at which to start stream decoding in the Clip AVstream file.

Each entry point in the EP_map has field data of is_AngleChange_point,Angle_number, PTS_EP_start, and SPN_EP_start. The is_AngleChange_pointindicates whether angle change is possible at the entry point. TheAngle_number indicates an angle number to which the entry point belongs.The SPN_EP_start indicates a packet number of the entry point. ThePTS_EP_start indicates a display start time of the entry point.

For example, entry points whose SPN_EP_start is x1, x2, or x3 allowangle change, and therefore the is_AngleChange_point of the entry pointsis “1.” Entry points whose SPN_EP_start is x11 or x12 do not allow anglechange, and therefore the is_AngleChange_point of the entry points is“0.” In other words, the is_AngleChange_point means that even when anglechange is made at an entry point whose is_AngleChange_point is “0,”seamless change is not ensured, that is, continuous supply of AV streamdata at a predetermined bit rate is not ensured. The same applies toentry points whose SPN_EP_start is y11, y12, z11 or z12.

FIG. 21 shows a syntax of a PlayItem when the Clip AV stream file ismanaged in FIG. 20. A Clip_information file_name represents AV streamsused in multiangle reproduction to which streams to make reference(Clip_information_X in the example of FIG. 21). An IN_time (T1 in theexample of FIG. 21) and an OUT_time (T4 in the example of FIG. 21)represent a start point and an end point of a time section of themultiangle reproduction. Of course, in the case of the PlayItem of FIG.21, the EP_map described with reference to FIG. 20 is used forconversion from time to data addresses.

Thus, since Clip 1, Clip 2, and Clip 3 are treated as one file,fragmentation of file data can be prevented, and therefore an amount ofdata in managing the data of the AV stream file can be reduced ascompared with FIG. 7.

With reference to a flowchart of FIG. 22, description will next be madeof processing for determining data reading addresses using the EP_map inFIG. 20 by taking as an example a case of changing angles and therebyreproducing a reproducing section a1 defined by a first PlayItem ofAngle#1, a reproducing section b2 defined by a second PlayItem ofAngle#2, and a reproducing section c3 defined by a third PlayItem ofAngle#3.

In step S121, in order to read the AV stream data A1 of the reproducingsection corresponding to the reproducing section a1 defined by the firstPlayItem of Angle#1, the control unit 23 obtains a reading start addressand a reading end address of the AV stream data A1 from data of entrypoints of Angle_number=1 in the EP_map in FIG. 20. In step S122, thecontrol unit 23 reads the source packet number x1 corresponding to atime stamp T1 as the reading start address of the AV stream data A1 fromthe EP_map. In addition, the control unit 23 reads the source packetnumber y1 corresponding to a time stamp T1 of Angle_number=2 from theEP_map and further determines a source packet number (y1-1) immediatelypreceding the source packet number y1 as the reading end address of thepiece of AV stream data A1.

In step S123, in order to read the AV stream data B2 of the reproducingsection corresponding to the reproducing section b2 defined by thesecond PlayItem of Angle#2, the control unit 23 obtains a reading startaddress and a reading end address of the AV stream data B2 from data ofentry points of Angle_number=2 in the EP_map in FIG. 20. In step S124,the control unit 23 in step S123 reads the source packet number y2corresponding to a time stamp T2 as the reading start address of the AVstream data B2 from the EP_map. In addition, the control unit 23 readsthe source packet number z2 corresponding to a time stamp T2 ofAngle_number=3 from the EP_map and further determines a source packetnumber (z2-1) immediately preceding the source packet number z2 as thereading end address of the piece of AV stream data B2.

In step S125, in order to read the AV stream data C3 of the reproducingsection corresponding to the reproducing section c3 defined by the thirdPlayItem of Angle#3, the control unit 23 obtains a reading start addressand a reading end address of the AV stream data C3 from data of entrypoints of Angle_number=3 in the EP_map in FIG. 20. In step S126, thecontrol unit 23 reads the source packet number z3 corresponding to atime stamp T3 as the reading start address of the AV stream data C3 fromthe EP_map. In addition, the control unit 23 determines a last sourcepacket number of Angle_number=3 as the reading end address of the pieceof AV stream data C3.

FIG. 23 shows another example of a PlayList forming a multiangle. ThePlayList shown in FIG. 23 is different from the PlayList of FIG. 15.

The PlayList in the example of FIG. 23 includes a multiangle typePlayItem. The PlayItem has two pieces of information, for example. Thefirst piece of information is information (specifying information) on AVstreams used in multiangle reproduction to which streams to makereference. For example, in the example of FIG. 23, Clip AV stream 1,Clip AV stream 2, and Clip AV stream 3 are streams to which to makereference. Thus, the specifying information (pointer) specifies them.The second piece of information is an IN point (IN_time) and an OUTpoint (OUT_time) that indicate a time section of the multianglereproduction. In the example of FIG. 23, the IN point is IN_time=T1 andthe OUT point is OUT_time. The IN_time and the OUT_time are shared by aplurality of AV streams used in the multiangle reproduction.

A method of interleaving and recording Clips is basically the same asdescribed with reference to FIG. 10.

Specifically, when AV stream data corresponding to PlayItems of anglesincluding the multiangle is recorded on the recording medium 100, the AVstream data of the angles is interleaved and recorded in units of aplurality of (in the example of FIG. 10, three) pieces of continuousdata in the AV stream data of the same angle (in units of “A1, A2, andA3,” “B1, B2, and B3,” and “C1, C2, and C3,” for example), in such anorder as A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, and C3, for example, as shownin FIG. 10. When the AV stream data interleaved and recorded as shown inFIG. 10 is reproduced with angle change, addresses of angle changepoints (for example source packet numbers x1, x2, x3, . . .corresponding to time stamps T1, T2, T3, . . . as reading startaddresses of the AV stream data A1, A2, A3, . . . as described withreference to FIG. 12) are obtained from EP_maps of the AV streams, asshown in FIG. 12.

As shown in FIG. 12, each entry point in the EP_map (EP_map of ClipInformation 1 in FIG. 12) of Clip 1 (Clip AV stream 1) has field data ofis_AngleChange_point, PTS_EP_start, and SPN_EP_start.

The is_AngleChange_point indicates whether angle change is possible atthe entry point. The SPN_EP_start indicates a packet number of the entrypoint. The PTS_EP_start indicates a display start time of the entrypoint.

For example, entry points whose SPN_EP_start is x1, x2, or x3 allowangle change, and therefore the is_AngleChange_point of the entry pointsis “1.” Entry points whose SPN_EP_start is x11 or x12 do not allow anglechange, and therefore the is_AngleChange_point of the entry points is“0.” In other words, the is_AngleChange_point means that even when anglechange is made at an entry point whose is_AngleChange_point is “0,”seamless change is not ensured, that is, continuous supply of AV streamdata at a predetermined bit rate is not ensured.

The same applies to the EP_map (EP_map of Clip Information 2 in FIG. 12)of Clip 2 (Clip AV stream 2). Entry points whose SPN_EP_start is y1, y2,or y3 allow angle change, and therefore the is_AngleChange_point of theentry points is “1.”

The same applies to the EP_map (EP_map of Clip Information 3 in FIG. 12)of Clip 3 (Clip AV stream 3). Entry points whose SPN_EP_start is z1, z2,or z3 allow angle change, and therefore the is_AngleChange_point of theentry points is “1.”

FIG. 24 shows a syntax of the PlayItem in FIG. 23.

A Clip_information_file_name represents the AV streams used inmultiangle reproduction to which streams to make reference. An IN_timeand an OUT_time represent the time section of the multianglereproduction.

Processing for recording AV signals used in the multiangle onto therecording medium 100 in the case described with reference to FIG. 23 andFIG. 24 is basically the same as described with reference to FIG. 13.

Specifically, the control unit 23 instructs the user via the userinterface 24 to divide a section of each angle for forming themultiangle into a plurality of predetermined sections. On the basis ofthe instruction, the user inputs an instruction to divide the wholesection of each angle by change points. The control unit 23 obtains theinstruction. The AV encoder 15 encodes a video signal of each of thedivided sections into a video stream starting with a Closed GOP, andencodes an audio signal of each of the sections into an audio stream.This encode processing is performed on video signals and audio signalsof all angles.

The multiplexer 16 multiplexes the video stream and the audio stream ofeach section into a transport stream of each section. The multiplexer 16interleaves the AV stream data of the angles in a manner as shown inFIG. 10, for example. The multiplexer 16 performs the multiplexing suchthat a first packet is a video packet and the video packet starts withan I-picture of a Closed GOP.

The source packetizer 19 source-packetizes the transport stream of eachpredetermined section, and the writing unit 22 records thesource-packetized transport stream as an AV stream file onto therecording medium 100. Thereby Clip AV stream files of the anglesincluding the source-packetized and recorded transport stream aregenerated on the recording medium 100. Incidentally, a video packet ID(PID) of the transport stream is the same in all the angles. An audiopacket ID of the transport stream is also the same in all the angles.

Then, the multiplexed stream analyzing unit 18 obtains a time stamp of afirst I-picture of the transport stream of each section and a packetnumber of a packet whose payload starts with the I-picture. The controlunit 23 adds a set of the time stamp and the packet number to an EP_map(When there is no EP_map, an EP_map is generated).

Then, the control unit 23 controls the writing unit 22 to record theEP_map generated for each Clip AV stream file in a predetermined area ofthe recording medium 100 collectively (in a concentrated manner).

The control unit 23 generates a PlayList. Thereafter, the control unit23 controls the writing unit 22 to record a PlayList file representingthe predetermined sections in the form of a PlayItem and having such adata structure in a predetermined area of the recording medium 100collectively (in a concentrated manner). Incidentally, in the case whereentry points entered in the EP_maps include entry points that are notangle change points as shown in FIG. 12, angle change points are set onthe basis of flags (“1” and “0”) of the EP_maps as shown in FIG. 12 whenthe control unit 23 generates the PlayList.

Reproduction processing 2 for reproducing the recorded multiangle in theexample of FIG. 23 and FIG. 24 will next be described with reference toFIG. 25.

In step S141, the control unit 23 reads the PlayList file and the ClipInformation files (including the EP_maps) of a plurality of Clips thatthe multiangle type PlayItem included in the PlayList refers to from therecording medium 100. That is, pre-reading is performed. The EP_maps arerecorded collectively, and can therefore be read quickly.

In step S142, on the basis of the multiangle type PlayItem included inthe PlayList read in the processing of step S141, the control unit 23reproduces AV stream data. In step S143, the control unit 23 determineswhether the user has given an instruction to change angles via the userinterface 24. When the control unit 23 determines that the user has notgiven an instruction to change angles, the control unit 23 determines instep S144 whether the user has given an instruction to end thereproduction. When the control unit 23 determines that the user hasgiven an instruction to end the reproduction, the processing is ended.When the control unit 23 determines that the user has not given aninstruction to end the reproduction, the processing returns to stepS143.

When the control unit 23 determines in step S143 that the user has givenan instruction to change angles, the control unit 23 in step S145retrieves a first reproducing section having a future display end timeclosest to a present reproduction time in reproducing sections of a ClipAV stream corresponding to an angle from which to make the angle change(angle currently being reproduced). When an instruction to change fromAngle#1 to Angle#2 is given between the time stamps T1 and T2 in theexample of FIG. 23, for example, a reproducing section a1 is the targetfirst reproducing section. This is derived from the fact that theis_AngleChange_point at each of T1 and T2 in the EP_map of the Clip ofAngle#1 is set to “1.”

In step S146, the control unit 23 retrieves a second reproducing sectionhaving the display end time of the first reproducing section as adisplay start time in reproducing sections of a Clip AV streamcorresponding to an angle to which to make the angle change. When aninstruction to change from Angle#1 to Angle#2 is given between the timestamps T1 and T2 in the example of FIG. 23, for example, a reproducingsection b2 is the target second reproducing section. This is derivedfrom the fact that the is_AngleChange_point at each of T2 and T3 in theEP_map of the Clip of Angle#2 is set to “1.”

In step S147, the control unit 23 obtains a source packet numbercorresponding to the display end time of the first reproducing sectionby referring to the EP_map of the Clip that the first reproducingsection refers to, and sets a source packet immediately preceding thesource packet number as a data reading end point of the angle from whichto make the angle change.

In step S148, the control unit 23 obtains a source packet numbercorresponding to the display start time of the second reproducingsection by referring to the EP_map of the Clip that the secondreproducing section refers to, and sets a source packet of the sourcepacket number as a data reading start point of the angle to which tomake the angle change.

In step S149, the control unit 23 determines whether the presentreproducing position is the end point calculated in the processing ofstep S147. When the present reproducing position is not the end point,the control unit 23 stands by until the present reproducing positionreaches the end point. When the present reproducing position reaches theend point, the processing proceeds to step S150, where the control unit23 jumps the reproducing position to the start point calculated in theprocessing of step S148. Thereafter the processing returns to step S143to repeat the processing from step S143 on down.

The series of processes described above can be carried out not only byhardware but also by software. In this case, the recording andreproducing apparatus 1 is formed by a personal computer as shown inFIG. 26, for example.

A CPU 131 in FIG. 26 performs various processing according to a programstored in a ROM 132 or a program loaded from a storage unit 138 into aRAM 133. The RAM 133 also stores data and the like necessary for the CPU131 to perform various processing, as required.

The CPU 131, the ROM 132, and the RAM 133 are interconnected via a bus134. The bus 134 is also connected with an input-output interface 135.

The input-output interface 135 is connected with an input unit 136including a keyboard, a mouse and the like, an output unit 137 includinga display formed by a CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube), an LCD (Liquid CrystalDisplay) or the like as well as a speaker, a storage unit 138 includinga hard disk or the like, and a communicating unit 139 including a modem,a terminal adapter or the like. The communicating unit 139 performscommunication processing via a network including the Internet (notshown).

When necessary, the input-output interface 135 is also connected with adrive 140, into which a magnetic disk 151, an optical disk 152, amagneto-optical disk 153, a semiconductor memory 154 or the like isinserted as required. A computer program read from the magnetic disk151, the optical disk 152, the magneto-optical disk 153, thesemiconductor memory 154 or the like is installed in the storage unit138 as required.

As shown in FIG. 26, a program storing medium for storing the programinstalled in the computer and set in a state of being executable by thecomputer is formed by a packaged medium including the magnetic disk 151(including flexible disks), the optical disk 152 (including CD-ROM(Compact Disk-Read Only Memory) and DVD (Digital Versatile Disk)), themagneto-optical disk 153 (including MD (Mini-Disk)), the semiconductormemory 154 or the like, or is formed by the ROM 132, the hard diskincluding the storage unit 138, or the like, which stores the programtemporarily or permanently. The program is stored on the program storingmedium using a wireless or wire communication medium such as a localarea network, the Internet, digital satellite broadcasting or the likevia an interface such as a router, a modem or the like, as required.

It is to be noted that in the present specification, the stepsdescribing the program stored on the program storing medium include notonly processing carried out in time series in the described order butalso processing carried out in parallel or individually and notnecessarily in time series. The present invention is applicable to caseswhere AV streams are recorded or reproduced on recording media such asBlu-ray Discs, CD-Rs, and other optical disks as well as DVDs, MDs andother magneto-optical disks, magnetic disks and the like.

In addition, while the present invention is applied to angle change inmultiangle recording and reproduction in the embodiment of the presentinvention, the present invention is applicable to reproduction paths fora multistory or rating control, for example.

When the recording medium 100 for recording or reproducing AV streams inFIG. 2 is a disk type recording medium such as a CD-R or another opticaldisk as well as a DVD, an MD or another magneto-optical disk, or amagnetic disk, for example, information is recorded thereon by formingpits or marks on the basis of recording waveforms of data on a “track”set concentrically or spirally on a surface of the disk.

On a medium that is pressed to record data, such as a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROMand the like, for example, pits, or physical depressions are actuallyformed on the surface. On the other hand, in the case of a write-once orrewritable medium such as a CD-R, a CD-RW, a DVD-R, a DVD-RW, a DVD-RAMor the like, for example, marks, which are a substitute for the physicaldepressions, are formed by applying laser light and thereby making theheat produce chemical change in a phase change film within the medium,instead of forming the depressions.

When recorded data is reproduced, laser light irradiated from a head toread the data is reflected on the surface of the medium. At this time,presence or absence of the pits or marks causes change in the reflectedlight, whereby the data is reproduced.

Methods of recognizing the recorded data includes a mark positionrecording method in which presence and absence of pits represent bitdata and a mark edge recording method in which presence of a pit invertsthe bit.

The latter method recognizes a pit read at a constant reflectance as“0,” and a pit in which the reflectance is changed as “1.” The methodcontributes to reducing pit length and track loss in recording data.

Incidentally, a method of recording or reproducing information on thedisk type recording medium such as the magnetic disk 151, the opticaldisk 152, the magneto-optical disk 153, the ROM 132, or the hard diskincluding the storage unit 138 described with reference to FIG. 26 isthe same as in the case where the recording medium 100 in FIG. 2 is adisk type recording medium.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the present invention, AV signals can be recorded andreproduced. In addition, information on addresses where data of eachreproduction path is stored can be obtained quickly. It thereby becomeseasier to read in advance information on addresses where data of eachreproduction path to be reproduced is stored.

1. An information processing apparatus for recording AV streams onto arecording medium comprising: encoding means for generating each of saidAV streams forming a plurality of reproduction paths; managinginformation generating means for generating managing informationincluding map information indicating positions of entry points of eachof said AV streams and reproduction managing information indicatingreproduction path change points set on the basis of said entry pointsincluded in said map information; and recording means for recording saidAV streams and said managing information onto said recording medium,wherein said managing information generating means generates acorrespondence table describing correspondences between packet numbersand presentation time stamps of said entry points as said mapinformation, wherein: said encoding means performs encoding such that avideo stream of each section starting at said reproduction path changepoint is a Closed GOP starting with an I-picture and a first packet is avideo packet, and said AV streams generated by said encoding means areincluded in a transport stream.
 2. An information processing apparatusas claimed in claim 1, wherein said encoding means sets an identicalvalue as a video packet ID of the transport stream and an identicalvalue as an audio packet ID of the transport stream in all thereproduction paths.
 3. An information processing apparatus for recordingAV streams onto a recording medium comprising: encoding means forgenerating each of said AV streams forming a plurality of reproductionpaths; managing information generating means for generating managinginformation including map information indicating positions of entrypoints of each of said AV streams and reproduction managing informationindicating reproduction path change points set on the basis of saidentry points included in said map information; and recording means forrecording said AV streams and said managing information onto saidrecording medium, wherein said managing information generating meansgenerates a correspondence table describing correspondences betweenpacket numbers and presentation time stamps of said entry points as saidmap information, wherein said managing information generating meansgenerates said map information and said reproduction managinginformation regarding the AV streams generated one for each of saidreproduction paths separately for each of said reproduction paths, saidapparatus further comprising source-packetizing means forsource-packetizing said transport stream of each section, wherein saidrecording means records said transport stream of each sectionsource-packetized by said source-packetizing means as an AV stream fileonto said recording medium.
 4. An information processing apparatus forreproducing AV streams from a recording medium on which said AV streams,map information for managing an entity of said AV streams, andreproduction managing information for managing reproduction of said AVstreams are recordable, said information processing apparatuscomprising: reading means for reading said reproduction managinginformation given to each reproduction path having each section dividedby a reproduction path change point of said AV stream as a unit, andreading said map information including a correspondence table describinga correspondence between a packet number and a presentation time stampof said change point of said AV stream; reproducing means forreproducing said AV streams recorded on said recording medium on thebasis of said reproduction managing information read by said readingmeans; retrieving means for, when an instruction to make a reproductionpath change is given, retrieving said reproduction managing informationof a reproduction path from which to make the reproduction path changeand said reproduction managing information of a reproduction path towhich to make the reproduction path change; first obtaining means forobtaining a reproduction end position of said AV stream of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change on thebasis of said reproduction managing information of the reproduction pathfrom which to make the reproduction path change and said correspondencetable of the reproduction path from which to make the reproduction pathchange; second obtaining means for obtaining a reproduction startposition of said AV stream of the reproduction path to which to make thereproduction path change on the basis of said reproduction managinginformation of the reproduction path to which to make the reproductionpath change and said correspondence table of the reproduction path towhich to make the reproduction path change; and control means forcontrolling said reproducing means to move a reproducing point at saidreproduction end position to said reproduction start position.
 5. Aninformation processing method of an information processing apparatus forreproducing AV streams from a recording medium on which said AV streams,map information for managing an entity of said AV streams, andreproduction managing information for managing reproduction of said AVstreams are recordable, said information processing method comprising: areading step for reading said reproduction managing information given toeach reproduction path having each section divided by a reproductionpath change point of said AV stream as a unit, and reading said mapinformation including a correspondence table describing a correspondencebetween a packet number and a presentation time stamp of said changepoint of said AV stream; a reproducing step for reproducing said AVstreams recorded on said recording medium on the basis of saidreproduction managing information read by processing of said readingstep; a retrieving step for, when an instruction to make a reproductionpath change is given, retrieving said reproduction managing informationof a reproduction path from which to make the reproduction path changeand said reproduction managing information of a reproduction path towhich to make the reproduction path change; a first obtaining step forobtaining a reproduction end position of said AV stream of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change on thebasis of said reproduction managing information of the reproduction pathfrom which to make the reproduction path change and said correspondencetable of the reproduction path from which to make the reproduction pathchange; a second obtaining step for obtaining a reproduction startposition of said AV stream of the reproduction path to which to make thereproduction path change on the basis of said reproduction managinginformation of the reproduction path to which to make the reproductionpath change and said correspondence table of the reproduction path towhich to make the reproduction path change; and a control step forcontrolling processing of said reproducing step to move a reproducingpoint at said reproduction end position to said reproduction startposition.
 6. An information processing apparatus for recording AVstreams onto a recording medium comprising: encoding means forgenerating each of said AV streams forming a plurality of reproductionpaths; managing information generating means for generating managinginformation including map information indicating a start point of saidAV stream of each reproduction path and positions of entry points ofsaid AV stream, and reproduction managing information including thestart point and an end point of said AV stream, reproduction path changepoints included in said entry points included in said map information,and specifying information for specifying the AV stream of eachreproduction path; and recording means for recording said AV streams andsaid managing information onto said recording medium, wherein saidmanaging information generating means generates a correspondence tabledescribing correspondences between packet numbers and presentation timestamps of said entry points as said map information, said encoding meansperforms encoding such that a video stream of each section starting atsaid reproduction path change point is a Closed GOP starting with anI-picture and a first packet is a video packet, and said AV streamsgenerated by said encoding means are included in a transport stream. 7.An information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein saidencoding means performs encoding such that a start of the video streamof each section is said Closed GOP and a subsequent part of the videostream of each section is a non-Closed GOP.
 8. An information processingapparatus for recording AV streams onto a recording medium comprising:encoding means for generating each of said AV streams forming aplurality of reproduction paths; managing information generating meansfor generating managing information including map information indicatinga start point of said AV stream of each reproduction path and positionsof entry points of said AV stream, and reproduction managing informationincluding the start point and an end point of said AV stream,reproduction path change points included in said entry points includedin said map information, and specifying information for specifying theAV stream of each reproduction path; and recording means for recordingsaid AV streams and said managing information onto said recordingmedium, wherein said managing information generating means generates acorrespondence table describing correspondences between packet numbersand presentation time stamps of said entry points as said mapinformation, wherein said managing information generating meansgenerates said map information and said reproduction managinginformation regarding the AV streams generated one for each of saidreproduction paths separately for each of said reproduction paths, saidapparatus further comprising source-packetizing means forsource-packetizing said transport stream of each section, wherein saidrecording means records said transport stream of each sectionsource-packetized by said source-packetizing means as an AV stream fileonto said recording medium.
 9. An information processing apparatus asclaimed in claim 8, wherein said managing information generating meansgenerates one said correspondence table to be included in said mapinformation, said correspondence table corresponding to said AV streamfile.
 10. An information processing apparatus for reproducing AV streamsfrom a recording medium on which said AV streams, map information formanaging an entity of said AV streams, and reproduction managinginformation for managing reproduction of said AV streams are recordable,said information processing apparatus comprising: reading means forreading said reproduction managing information including a reproductionpath change point of said AV streams, a start point and an end point ofsaid AV streams, and specifying information for specifying the AV streamof each reproduction path, and reading said map information including acorrespondence table describing correspondences between packet numbersand presentation time stamps of said start point and said change pointof said AV streams; reproducing means for reproducing said AV streamsrecorded on said recording medium on the basis of said reproductionmanaging information read by said reading means; retrieving means for,when an instruction to make a reproduction path change is given,retrieving said section of a reproduction path from which to make thereproduction path change and said section of a reproduction path towhich to make the reproduction path change; first obtaining means forobtaining a reproduction end position of said AV stream of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change on thebasis of said section of the reproduction path from which to make thereproduction path change and said correspondence table of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change;second obtaining means for obtaining a reproduction start position ofsaid AV stream of the reproduction path to which to make thereproduction path change on the basis of said section of thereproduction path to which to make the reproduction path change and saidcorrespondence table of the reproduction path to which to make thereproduction path change; and control means for controlling saidreproducing means to move a reproducing point at said reproduction endposition to said reproduction start position.
 11. An informationprocessing method of an information processing apparatus for reproducingAV streams from a recording medium on which said AV streams, mapinformation for managing an entity of said AV streams, and reproductionmanaging information for managing reproduction of said AV streams arerecordable, said information processing method comprising: a readingstep for reading said reproduction managing information including areproduction path change point of said AV streams, a start point and anend point of said AV streams, and specifying information for specifyingthe AV stream of each reproduction path, and reading said mapinformation including a correspondence table describing correspondencesbetween packet numbers and presentation time stamps of said start pointand said change point of said AV streams; a reproducing step forreproducing said AV streams recorded on said recording medium on thebasis of said reproduction managing information read by processing ofsaid reading step; a retrieving step for, when an instruction to make areproduction path change is given, retrieving said section of areproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change andsaid section of a reproduction path to which to make the reproductionpath change; a first obtaining step for obtaining a reproduction endposition of said AV stream of the reproduction path from which to makethe reproduction path change on the basis of said section of thereproduction path from which to make the reproduction path change andsaid correspondence table of the reproduction path from which to makethe reproduction path change; a second obtaining step for obtaining areproduction start position of said AV stream of the reproduction pathto which to make the reproduction path change on the basis of saidsection of the reproduction path to which to make the reproduction pathchange and said correspondence table of the reproduction path to whichto make the reproduction path change; and a control step for controllingprocessing of said reproducing step to move a reproducing point at saidreproduction end position to said reproduction start position.